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Page 16<br />
Understanding the <strong>Vintage</strong>/Historic rules in VARAC<br />
By Joe Lightfoot,<br />
Eligibility Director<br />
<strong>Vintage</strong>/Historic rules are for cars produced<br />
up to 1972 and for “continuation” cars that<br />
were made aft er<br />
1972 but which<br />
have the same<br />
mechanical<br />
components<br />
and exact same<br />
body shape and<br />
body materials as<br />
the 1972 model<br />
(minor trim<br />
variations may be<br />
acceptable).<br />
And while V/H<br />
does include cars<br />
up to 1972, the<br />
“era” that V/H<br />
cars are trying<br />
to emulate is<br />
actually the<br />
CASC rules<br />
from 1967.<br />
Th ey do the<br />
same thing in<br />
almost every<br />
<strong>Vintage</strong> Race<br />
organization<br />
across North<br />
America. If you<br />
read the SVRA<br />
Group 3 rules<br />
you will fi nd<br />
that they also<br />
refer to the “SCCA” classes of 1967.<br />
Basically what this means is, that cars are to<br />
“look” as they would have, when produced<br />
(sans bumpers if you wish). Body materials<br />
and shape are to be as “original”. Th is was the<br />
pre fender fl air, spoiler and air-dam era. Now I<br />
know there was always a “run what you brung”<br />
or “improved production” class even going way<br />
back, but that is not what the VARAC rules are<br />
about.<br />
Th e VARAC V/H rules make <strong>Vintage</strong> racing<br />
aff ordable, competitive and fun for everyone.<br />
If your intention is to make sure you can beat<br />
everyone else by any means possible, you’ve<br />
joined the wrong organization.<br />
As the years passed, this idea of racing<br />
production cars<br />
that looked like<br />
“stock” cars<br />
became very<br />
uncommon<br />
(there were<br />
still some races<br />
where this was<br />
required). By<br />
1975 there<br />
was hardly and<br />
MGB out there<br />
that didn’t<br />
have massive<br />
fender fl airs<br />
and spoilers<br />
and fi breglass<br />
fenders. Th is<br />
is a distinctly<br />
diff erent and<br />
more modern<br />
era, one that<br />
many of the<br />
“younger”<br />
crowd relates<br />
to. Th at is<br />
why VARAC<br />
introduced<br />
the G70+ race<br />
group.<br />
Even so,<br />
G70+ requires<br />
adherence to a<br />
set of rules that existed before 1990. Th at rule<br />
set could be IMSA rules of 1977 if you wish,<br />
but your car must represent all the rules of<br />
your chosen race group and year, you can’t pick<br />
and choose from diff erent years or groups and<br />
under no circumstances can you use anything<br />
that was not available by 1989.]<br />
I hope this is helpful in understanding<br />
the VARAC philosophy of race rules and<br />
preparation.
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